Or as we like to call it Italian Chili. Seems to me that the word stew induces a very specific vision. For me the word stew makes me think heavy, a thickened sauce, large chunks of meat, potatoes and vegetables. And when I first made this recipe it ran more along the lines of tasting like chili without the red base. I have adapted this recipe from one in the Kraft Family Food and Fun magazine , Easy Italian Stew from the Fall 2007 edition. The reason I made changes was mostly due to not being able to find ingredients and knowing that I could do some of them a bit cheaper but with the same results. By all means if you are one who doesn’t enjoy cooking grab all the pre-packaged items and toss them in the pan this is a great recipe.
Brown your sasuage, but please just do it in the pan you plan on cooking your soup in there is no need to dirty more than one pan that must be hand washed.
When the sausage is done you should add veggies, broth, and beans and bring to a boil. In this instance I added my bell peppers and onions and let them cook off some of the water. I had cut these and put them in the freezer earlier in the summer to avoid them being tossed out.
Once the soup is boiling add your pasta. If you don’t and add your pasta earlier you risk the pasta not cooking and just soaking up your broth. No one likes it when their past blows up.
Here we are simmering.
To serve place in your favorite soup receptacle and top with cheese.
Other thoughts by using non-prepared tomatoes and vegetables you should be able to lower the sodium content if that is a concern. Also draining your sausage and omitting the dressing will reduce the fat content without hurting the flavor.
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